AUSTIN, Texas — Since the launch of Operation Lone Star in March of last year, Gov. Greg Abbott claims multi-agency efforts have led to the seizure of more than 300 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
"Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border, stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas, and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry in response to the federal government's unwillingness to address the border crisis," Abbott's office said in a press release on Friday.
Since last year, Abbott's office also said Operation Lone Star has also led to more than 236,000 migrant apprehensions, nearly 14,000 criminal arrests and more than 11,300 felony charges. Additionally, 3,800 weapons and $30 million in currency have been seized.
"Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border," the release stated. "Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden's open border policies."
Also on Friday, a Texas Army National Guard assigned to Operation Lone Star went missing along the river during a mission-related incident in Eagle Pass.
Earlier this month, KVUE spoke with a guardsman assigned to the operation who said he believed Operation Lone Star was a waste of money. His interview came as the Texas Military Department told the State Senate Border Security Committee that they’ll need over half a billion dollars to continue.
“It still stings trying to get through the day, knowing that tomorrow I got another eight hours of just sitting there and staring into open space,” he said.
In other border news, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday announced his 10th lawsuit regarding issues at the southern border and the Biden administration. This suit challenges the termination of Title 42.
“The Biden Administration has made one disastrous border decision after another, and I’ve sued him at every turn,” Paxton said in a press release. “But his new plan to rescind Title 42 is the most consequential yet. Without Title 42, hundreds of thousands more illegal aliens will flood Texas every month – even more than have been pouring over in the past year. His goal is simple: get as many illegals in this country as fast as possible without any concern for the potential criminal or terrorist background of those crossing the border. This is allowing the cartels to maximize their profits and their effectiveness. Biden cannot make such sweeping decisions without going through the process required by federal law. He didn’t, so I’m suing. I’ll hold him accountable and do all I can to protect Texans.”
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